4. Mechanics of Change

The Jew stands in self-judgment in an act of personal improvement.

PREPARATION

WORKSHOP

(1) What is the meaning of the Christians term 'prayer' and what is the Christian concept of prayer?

(2) What is the meaning of the Jewish term for prayer, Tefillah, and how does the concept of prayer differ for the Jew?

(3) Why would a Jew who is ill be told to change their name?

(4) How does Christian confession bring a person to atone for sin?

(5) What are the three steps to teshuva, and how does the teshuva process differ from Christian confession?

(6) Why does the person who has done teshuva warrant a different decree from God?

(7) What moral questions are raised by the actions of Devalera, the Prime Minister of Ireland, and of Eichmann after the Second World War?

(8) According to Judaism, can a righteous gentile have a portion in the World to Come? What would they have to do to be considered 'righteous'?

ANSWERS

(1) Q: What is the meaning of the Christians term 'prayer' and what is the Christian concept of prayer?

A: The word 'prayer' comes from the Latin word precare, meaning to beg. The Christian posture for prayer is to get down on one's knees, in the posture of begging. In Christian theology, Man is burdened with Original Sin and is likely to fall. He must beg for God's mercy, because he does not deserve to be saved through his actions alone. The Christian must beg God to grant salvation, even when he knows he does not deserve it. He begs for this as a free gift, for he knows he comes before God with no merit of his own.

(2) Q: What is the meaning of the Jewish term for prayer, Tefillah, and how does the concept of prayer differ for the Jew?

A: The Jewish posture for prayer is to stand erect before God. The reflexive form of the word tefillah, 'lehitpalel,' means 'to judge oneself.' The Jew stands in self-judgment and asks: Who I am and how can I better myself? How can I improve myself and my actions? When he succeeds in improving and refining his actions, he knows that he can turn to God and say, "I am a no longer the person I once was. I am a new person, and that new person deserves a different decree than the old me." Prayer is not a request for a free gift. The purpose of prayer is as a catalyst to change.

(3) Q: Why would a Jew who is ill be told to change their name?

A: When a Jew changes his name, it indicates a change of identity. Changing one's identity is the only valid reason for asking God to change the decree.

(4) Q: How does Christian confession bring a person to atone for sin?

A: Confession requires a person to confess and acknowledge their sin in order to receive atonement. The person who attends confession says, "I acknowledge that I am a sinner, so help me, God, although I do not deserve it, for I am a worthless sinner."

(5) Q: What are the three steps to teshuva, and how does the teshuva process differ from Christian confession?

A: Teshuva requires three steps:

Recognition of sin – verbal confession and acknowledgement of the sin

Remorse – sincere regret of the sinful action

Acceptance of change – a commitment to a new approach for the future.

Teshuva differs from Christian confession. Confession requires the recognition of sin. Teshuva moves beyond that stage and requires the person to change in order for their repentance to be accepted before God.

(6) Q: Why does the person who has done teshuva warrant a different decree from God?

A: Successful teshuva creates a new person who would not choose to sin if he found himself in the same situation as before. His old decree is no longer valid, as it was given to his 'old self.' As a new person, he can turn to God and ask for a new decree, one that he has earned through the work of improving himself.

(7) Q: What moral questions are raised by the actions of Devalera, the Prime Minister of Ireland, and of Eichmann after the Second World War?

A: Rabbi Blech explores the fate of someone who has committed abominable acts of evil, like those seen in the Holocaust, but chooses to believe in Jesus. How would Christianity deal with such a person? Conversely, what would be the fate of the many pure Jews and Jewish children who went to their deaths with Shema on their lips – but not believing in Jesus as their savior? How can it be morally correct that the wicked would attain salvation, while the innocent would be consigned to hell?

(8) Q: According to Judaism, can a righteous gentile have a portion in the World to Come? What would they have to do to be considered 'righteous'?

A: Yes, a gentile can gain a portion in the World to Come, by performing good deeds.

SUMMARY

We tend to think that the Jewish term for prayer 'tefillah' and the Christian word 'prayer' have the same meaning. However they represent two very different theological concepts.

In Christianity, Original Sin and human nature testify that an individual does not deserve to be saved by their actions alone. The word prayer comes from the Latin word precare – to beg. Prayer is a request for God's mercy. The Christian believes he must beg God to bring him salvation as a 'free gift', even though he has done nothing to deserve it.

To a Jew, there is no such thing as a 'free gift.' God gave us the responsibility of His Torah and mitzvot because He believes we are capable of 'doing it on our own.' Prayer (Tefillah) is a process of self-judgment, evaluation and change.

The reflexive form of the word tefillah – 'lehitpalel' – means 'to judge oneself.' The Jew stands in self-judgment and scrutinizes his every deed in order to identify areas for self improvement. He works on himself, changing and refining his actions for the good. When he succeeds, he turns to God in prayer to ask for a change of decree, saying, "I am no longer the person I was. Please give the new me a different, more fitting decree."

In Christianity, one goes to confession to acknowledge that they are a sinner, and turn to God to grant salvation even though he does not deserve it.

In Judaism, repentance (teshuva) is a mechanism for change with three main steps:

Recognition of sin – acknowledgement of the sin and a verbal confession

Remorse – regret for one's actions

Acceptance of change – a commitment to a new approach for the future.

Teshuva differs from the Christian approach to sin, because built into the process of teshuva is a commitment to change. Just like prayer, the approach to teshuva is that if I can change myself by changing my actions, I become a new person. As a new person, I can turn to God and ask Him to change my decree, since the decision He made about the 'old me' is no longer relevant.

Rabbi Blech posits the following moral question: If every person is a sinner and salvation is achieved through the belief that Jesus atones for your sins, then it does not matter how great a sinner you are. The wicked can enter heaven, by simply believing in Jesus.

Rabbi Blech strengthens this question by exploring the responses of different individuals to the atrocities of the Holocaust. Christian doctrine dictates that even someone as wicked as Eichman could attain salvation as long as he believes in Jesus. Conversely, the Jewish men, women and children who died in the Holocaust would be consigned to Hell through their dedicated belief in One God.

Judaism believes that what matters most is deed, not creed. Judaism puts a person's deeds on the scale, rather than their beliefs. The Jew is evaluated by their actions, because what we do defines who we are. Indeed, even the gentile can merit a portion in the World to Come, if their actions – their deeds – are good. Creed is an important foundation of Judaism, but it is our actions that truly define who we are and who we become.

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About the Author

Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a frequent contributor to Aish, is a Professor of Talmud at Yeshiva University and an internationally recognized educator, religious leader, and lecturer. Author of 14 highly acclaimed books with combined sales of over a half million copies, his newest, The World From A Spiritual Perspective, is a collection of over 100 of his best Aish articles. See his website at www.benjaminblech.com.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

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